Washington Football Team: Studs and duds from Week 6 loss to Giants

Washington Football Team Stud: Ron Rivera’s aggressiveness

Ron Rivera has certainly earned his nickname “Riverboat Ron” over the course of his career. And on Sunday, he coached one of his most aggressive games of the season.

Rivera knew that Washington had a shot to win against the Giants, so he didn’t back down at any point in this contest. Late in the first half, he called back a punt where Tress Way had pinned the opponent deep in their own zone after a penalty gave him the opportunity to do so.

The next play, fourth-and-4 saw Allen find Dontrelle Inman for a 15-yard gain and put Washington in field goal range. They would later score a touchdown and go to halftime down just three.

Washington Commanders

Another more conservative coach may have kept the punt and tried to defend and get the ball back before halftime. Rivera was confident enough to try the fourth-down play and whether you think he’s right or wrong, you have to admire his aggressiveness knowing what taking a one-possession game to halftime would’ve done for Washington.

Then, of course, there was the decision to go for a 2-point conversion down 20-19 with under a minute left. Basically, Rivera decided that in that moment, he wanted to play for the win, not for overtime.

Overtime would mean relying on a coin toss. If they lose that, then the defense has to get a stop. If they do get a stop, the offense has to put together a drive. There were a lot of variables in that scenario, but in choosing the 2-point attempt, there were only two options. Convert and likely win, or fail and likely lose.

The conversion ultimately failed, but in this analyst’s opinion, it was the right decision. Converting would’ve given them the best chance to win, so why not try it? Either way, Rivera’s aggressive decision-making in this game is noted, and it will certainly help the team play harder and play in bigger, high-pressure movements going forward.